


mutual

by revoleotion



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Before TROS, Mention of alcohol, Post TLJ, enemies to... friends?, mention of past child abuse, sympathetic Enric Pryde
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:00:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23128186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/revoleotion/pseuds/revoleotion
Summary: “He deserved what happened to him,” Pryde said with a smile that said, "I know". He knew, and he still smiled at Armitage.“It was a tragedy, of course,” Armitage said.“Of course.”
Relationships: Armitage Hux & Pryde
Comments: 6
Kudos: 25





	mutual

**Author's Note:**

> I have no excuse for this. I don't know why I did this either. I just wish they got along better.

“I know you probably had your head up his arse like everyone else did-” Armitage started. 

“Brendol?” Pryde asked, the kind of disgust in his voice that he usually showed when he was talking about brute, unnecessary violence. “Actually, I did not particularly like him.” 

“What's that supposed to mean?” Armitage asked, alcohol clouding his brain and preventing him from flinching when Pryde leaned closer and smiled. 

“It means that I disliked him,” he said. 

Coming from him, that was a lot. Armitage looked back into his glass, swallowed and raised an eyebrow. 

“I can't remember much of you,” he honestly said. “I don't know if you… participated.” 

Pryde stayed silent for long enough to set every inch of Armitage on fire. No, that wasn't correct. It felt like someone had pushed him into ice water and watched him drown. Icy fear flooded his lungs, suffocated him until… 

“You don't have to believe me,” Pryde said slowly. Softly. One thing that Armitage had noticed about Pryde was that he never raised his voice around Armitage. Around anyone, really. 

“I didn't agree with him when it came to that,” Pryde continued. 

Armitage remembered most men that had hurt him in his life. When he looked at Pryde, he felt many things but no fear that came from years of abuse. He hated Pryde, for taking a title that should've been his. He hated him for having great hair, for never losing it, no matter how stressed he was. For being able to drink two glasses of wine without being drunk.

“He deserved what happened to him,” Pryde said with a smile that said, _I know_. He knew, and he still smiled at Armitage. 

“It was a tragedy, of course,” Armitage said. 

“Of course.” 

They looked at each other again. Maybe there was a universe where Armitage would fall for him, a happier timeline where it didn't feel like they were on opposite sides. These days he felt like he didn't even have a side anymore. 

“You will be alright, I assume?” Pryde asked and got up. Armitage admired him for not swaying in the slightest. Phasma had been like that, too. Just thinking about her was a dagger in his brain, a delete button for any self control. 

“General?” Pryde asked, now slight concern in his voice. Armitage blinked. 

“Of course,” he repeated and smiled. “Just give me a few more minutes.” 

And then the crying started. Ugly crying, not the healing kind. He was just a man at a table losing it. He almost pushed his glass to the ground when he buried his face in his arms. Not that this mattered, Pryde had already seen it starting, there was no point of hiding it now. 

“Should I escort you, Hux?” Pryde asked. Armitage slowly lifted his head and stared into blue eyes that shouldn't be allowed to be this blue. 

He was drunk. He was helpless. Statistically, this was the best way to get killed. But Armitage didn't have anything Pryde needed. He hadn't done anything wrong (nothing that Pryde knew of, at least).

He stretched out a hand and waited for Pryde to help him up. And it felt stupid when he was leaning against him, his hair all ruined and tears staining the man's uniform, but it felt _safe_. 

It shouldn't surprise him. After all, his alliance with Phasma had started with their mutual hate for Brendol as well. 

“Are you going to be alright?” Pryde asked when Armitage let himself drop onto the couch. He didn't move away from where he was standing, close enough to be of help when necessary but far away enough to make Armitage feel comfortable still. Even through his tears Armitage could notice that Pryde paid attention to those small things. 

“Yes,” Armitage said. 

“Are you sure?”

“No.” 

“He's dead.” Pryde made a step towards him. “That bastard is dead, hear me?” 

“Ren isn't.” The words escaped him quicker than he wanted to, Armitage covered his lips and dug his fingernails into his cheek. The pain made him hiss and he slowly removed the hand from his face. 

“Ren is not here. I will lock the door for you,” Pryde said. 

“Locks never stopped anyone.” 

He was being paranoid, wasn't he? Pryde didn't seem to mind. His gentle expression hadn't slipped up once. 

“This is my ship, Hux. If he has a problem with you, he will report to me first.” 

Ah, right. The _Steadfast_ , Pryde's nostalgic passion project. Armitage nodded and leaned back until his back was pressed against the back of the sofa. He dropped his hand into his lap and clenched it to a fist. 

“Thank you. You may leave if you want.” 

His superior, a man he had never considered an ally, smiled at him in a way Brendol never did. How desperate was Armitage to look for affection in every men he saw? 

“Drink some water, maybe eat something. Is this your first time?”

_No but the first time without Phasma._

“No,” Armitage answered. Pryde turned away and walked a few steps into the room. Armitage was too drunk to fully experience the panic but he only calmed down when Pryde returned with a cup of water and a ration bar. 

“I'm leaving once you're done with this,” he promised. 

Armitage felt the urge to laugh at this. This was even worse than Phasma. He leaned forward and cupped the glass with his hands. 

“Thank you.” 

Pryde only stood and watched. Armitage finished the water first, slowly, because he feared not being able to hold it in. Once he finished, he unwrapped the bar and looked down on it. 

“Do you think I'm like him?” he asked. 

Pryde took his time to respond. Just when Armitage thought he wouldn't say anything, he said, “Not in the ways that count.” 

It was a stupid thing to say, definitely, but it helped Armitage through finishing the bar. He put the wrapping paper down next to the cup. 

“Well done,” Pryde said in the same tone he'd praise a cat that just scratched a person he didn't like. “Now, can I count on you to make it to your bed?” 

It was tempting to say No. Armitage rarely accepted help but he also craved being taken care of. Pryde had done too much already. If this got out, Armitage's reputation would be so damaged that he could ask Pryde to shoot him immediately. 

“Yes, Sir,” he said. “Thank you.” 

“No need to thank me.”

That was clearly a lie; Pryde seemed happy with the praise. Maybe they weren't so different. 

And he made it to his bed, a few minutes after Pryde had left him. He was convinced that he was never going to fall asleep after this but that thought didn't last long because he drifted off to sleep a second later. 


End file.
